I started out this election season like so many African Americans, leery of this guy with big ears and a crazy name. I put the same limitations on him that so many of our people have put on ourselves. “He’s not gonna be the President.” “Ain’t no way white people are gonna vote for him.” “What’s a black man gonna do in the White House?” I went about my merry way thinking, well when California rolls around I’ll probably go and cast my vote in the Primary for McCain or Ron Paul.

(Side note: I’m a social Liberal and a Fiscal conservative. I liked McCain in 2000 because he seemed to fit that mold and I was young and really only cared about sound bite politics. I was one of the few at my school who argued that Bill Clinton was more republican than democrat)

Then 3 things happened on the way to the California Primary

1) I started working for a company that raises money for liberal organizations so I REALLY had to study up on the issues. Raising money for Naral and Planned Parenthood kind of makes it hard to vote for John McCain or Ron Paul.

2) Barack won Iowa, white people WOULD vote for the black dude. SWEET. But I still had some Clinton loyalty from the 90’s. Hell, I was a student at Northwestern when Chelsea was visiting campus to see if she would attend. I remember being a kid and watching this white dude play sax on the Arsenio Hall show.

3) I actually listed to Barack. I listened to his speeches, his message of hope and change and I started researching. Googling Newspaper articles, magazine articles, went to barackobama.com. He had awoken a political giant. I not only read articles for him, I read those that were against him. I read about all the candidates (Edwards, Clinton, McCain, Romney, Huckabee, Paul) I researched positions and gauged for myself who would best represent the change that I wanted to see in our government. That was Barack.

The politocos are now trying to paint the picture of a right stepping Barack. The truth is Many of the Left are now upset at what he’s been saying ALL ALONG. He would work across party lines. He was for bipartisanship. He was for Uniting all of the different factions of Americans rather than catering to the Divisive politics of old. Now that he’s actually putting action to those words the Netroots are wigging out. He’s doing as he always said he’d do. Remember he’s not just putting a coalition of Democrats together to win as was the case of the primaries. He has to put a coalition of ALL Americans to win. He will be the President of ALL Americans, religious, non religious, foreigners in our borders, greeks, jews, blacks, latinos, even white people.

What is right is not always popular, and what is Popular, is not always right!

Ending Slavery: Right, but not popular.
Giving women the right to vote: Right and Popular
The Civil Rights Act: Right, but not popular with his base (LBJ “I’ve handed the south to the Republicans, for my lifetime and yours”)
FISA Compromise (Warrantless spying on International Phonecalls and emails): It’s shitty that we have to do it, but as much as I’d like to eat icecream 3 meals a day, mom had to make the decision and do otherwise. Yeah, it’s a slippery slope, but as I get older, Protecting what I have and my family are more important than high minded ideals.

This is why I support Barack Obama. The truth is there is so much anger and disappointment because he has caused us to care! McCain supports the same Ammendment and there’s no outrage there, because no one CARES about McCain and his positions.

Back in 2004, watching his keynote at the Democratic National Convention, I began calling friends and telling them "I've just seen the first black president!"

When this campaign was gearing up I was hoping for a Gore/Obama ticket. When that did not materialize, I was an Obama supporter.

2004 DNC keynote address. I wondered why this guy was not running instead of John Kerry.

I decided on supporting Obama after he won Iowa. The more I listened to his speeches, the more I liked him and believed he could actually win. I was expecting some candidate to emerge as the primary challenger to Senator Clinton, and after Iowa it seemed clear to me that Obama was that candidate.

He was right about the war, and the more I heard from him the more I respected his intelligence. That he was raising so much money over the internet showed he could be a viable candidate - or at least that money problems wouldn't force him out of the race.

One thing that did resonate with me early on was his comments about Ronald Reagan, that were misconstrued by many as approval of Reagan's policies. They showed me that Obama fully understands the value of the presidency as a bully pulpit, and as tool to change public opinion.

In general, I've been quite impressed by Obama's campaign, although I have been disappointed by his flip-flop on FISA. Yet I'm still more inspired by Obama than by any candidate since I've been old enough to vote, and I strongly support his candidacy.

Awesome post, btw

I supported him strongly from the moment he announced his candidacy because of the mix of (a) his opposition to the war in Iraq (b) anyone but Clinton.

I was so disappointed when I learned that he wasn't in favour of mandated universal healthcare, and if I hadn't been so averse to Clinton (for so many reasons) I'd have switched on that one issue.

I was stunned & shocked by his flyer out in Wisconsin attacking her healthcare mandate, for the first time ever I actually felt some sympathy for her and it was only my even stronger revulsion for Clinton that soon resurfaced and kept me in his camp.

When the Wright issue exploded I became very pessimistic about his ability to win the general, and wished there was some other strong candidate.

Basically, after Philadelphia I felt sick whenever I'd watch Pelosi spouting on about what amazing candidates we had. (I no longer believed she meant it.) I'm dreading all the republican attack ads. It will be a wonderful relief if he does actually manage to overcome the attacks on his associations and wins the general. I think his VP choice will be crucial - it has to be someone that gets the media & the great majority of Amerians onside and I have no idea who that could be. Schweitzer (Montana)? I think when he announced his VP choice he should also announce who he wants for his defense/state secretaries.

Call me a crazy white guy, but I started supporting him for president in February 2007. I had noticed him as many people had, when I saw a recording of his speech at the 2004 convention.

Living in France when W and Co. pushed through this unjustified and deceitful war, I noticed that there were few people who stood up to it. I didn't know that Barack had at the time, but his judgement on that issue (as well as many others) has stood up to the test of time, and as his recent non-flip-flop has shown, he isn't just a knee-jerk peacenik (like me. ;-) ).

But I didn't know whether it was time for him to be president until I saw this (streaming live)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdJ7Ad15WCA

Ever since, I've been making phone calls and talking to folks about him, even here in Hillary country.

Now, we're even ahead in Montana. This is gonna be a fun ride to November. Fired up and ready to go!

Jim in NYC

I firmly decided on Obama around September or October 2007 after I read his books. I thought he was brilliant and very persuasive. The main reason I decided on Obama was because I felt he was going to appeal to independents and, hopefully, Republicans more than the other Democratic candidates. It's very important to me that we get as many people in this country "on board" with a progressive "shift" in policy-making and governing.

Also, I live in Texas, and I'd LOVE to see my state go Democratic in the Presidential election this year. And I don't think Clinton would've had a snowball's chance here in Bubba Land.

Hearing his speech at the 2004 convention, my wall of political cynicism just sort of melted into a puddle, giving way to a sudden germ of hope that sanity might actually be able to regain a place in political discourse and government. I had goosebumps listening to this unknown fellow.
Within a month, I went out and bought "Dreams of My Father", a book Barack wrote before he was ever in politics. That book really let me know just how deep and thoughtful and unabashedly human and gifted with words is the young man who wrote it. I especially liked that he seemed so very comfortable in his own skin that he would lay out his innermost struggles in those pages.

I supported Obama's presidential bid from the moment he announced, not because I ever dreamed he could win the primary.......... I never imagined that....... but because it simply felt like, by actively supporting Barack, I had a chance to strengthen that renewed hope that had been evoked inside of me. It is just qualitatively different live and act motivated by hope rather than fear and cynicism.

Back in the late 90s I spent a lot time in Chi-town, and being a politically junkie from way, way, back (marveling at the political machines of the Daleys, Jane Byrne, Harold Washington, et al) I took notice of this young guy with an interesting name that people were talking about. Went to a reception that he attended, heard him speak -- not a big speech, just conversation at somebody's house and was impressed with what I heard, just like a lot of people. I thought then, if I ever moved to IL, I'd vote for him and that he should be on the national scene. A few years later I heard he was running for Senate and a couple after that, there he was at the 2004 DNC. So my support of Barack is "so last century."

Obama got my attention in the 2004 speech; I signed Durbin's petition in the fall of 2006 urging Obama to run and I've actively supported and worked as a volunteer in his campaign since his announcement. Of his two books, the essence of his character is found in his first book, written long before any political ambitions were more than a microscopic possibility.

Obama got my money from my tightly clenched fist. Obama got my active and willing support, even to trudging through falling snow a couple of times as a trudged up and down the streets of my ward. The last time this involvement occurred was with JFK (bit young), RFK, and MLK. Those assassinations drove me to "just vote" for decades.

The sorry shape of my country and the possibility that Obama could kick he can a bit down the progressive road combined to put me firmly in the Obama camp very early on.

My brief bit of biographical detail....

When Obama gave the speech at the 2004 convention, I thought to myself, "Some day this guy's going to be president." That was about it. I thought about that speech now and again, particularly when the MSM talked about his books, etc.

Then someone reached out to me I didn't know inviting me to be part of a "Draft Barack Obama" group on the Internet. I took part and invited others.

A few months later Obama is running for POTUS; and I was excited about the possibility of his being president. For one thing, even though he was definitely a liberal, conservative pastors seemed to "get" him. The pastor of the Saddleback Church (Southern Baptist) in California, had great respect for him in spite of some of his positions.

Each speech and each reading of his web site brought increased respect and hope through the man and his message.

I have wavered at times in thinking about some of his policies; but I believe Barack Hussein Obama is poised to be not just a good president, but a great president. I am excited about the possibilities of 2009-2013.

I could have gone either way until March 18, 2008. Having grown up in the deep south, I couldn't believe I was hearing a national-level politician addressing race so frankly. That's when I decided that while I'd support whomever the Democrats nominated, I would ride out the primaries in the Obama camp.

i decided to support him when he spoke 2004 at dnc i knew then he would be someone to watch politicaly and perhaps be our next president. i never supported the clintons due to i did not want to relive that era again and mccain is too mcuh like bush. his stance against the war which i was also against,when it was popular to be for the war showed good judgement. he has my continued to support

2004 national convention. After that it was only a matter of time, waiting until he threw his hat into the ring.

After the reaction to the 2004 speech, we all knew he was going to go far, no?

Super Tuesday Feb 5, 2008.
I heard him speak that night during primary election coverage. I also heard, for the first time, his speech from the DNC Convention in 2004. I experienced shivers of excitement hearing him talk about his vision for our country. I wondered if we had a new JFK, RFK, or MLK. I remembered how my parents were inspired by JFK and knew we had not had a leader like him since 1963. I dared to hope we might have one in Barack Obama.

Within a week I had read "The Audacity of Hope" and then "Dreams From My Father". By the third week of February I had created an account on MyBO and dug in to learn all I could, from there and from news articles and the internet. Since that time I have actively campaigned on his behalf by phonebanking and GOTV efforts in other states. I am now thoroughly involved in a NJ effort and am working with Obama Fellows on GOTV & recognition efforts. I have vowed to not go back to work (between jobs) so I can devote all my time to making sure Barack is our next POTUS.

I may be a late bloomer, but I am totally dedicated to seeing Obama in the WH in January 2009. Barack is intelligent, well-spoken, has the judgement needed to lead the US, wants us out of Iraq responsibly, offers sound policies, and he offers a vision of Hope to millions of people who, I believe, had become jaded and cynical about politics and the future of our country.